Braemar Caravan Park and Camping Pods Blog

Braemar is a fantastic village, just a short walk from Braemar Caravan Park. We may be a small village but there are plenty of places to get ingredients for a picnic, to sit and enjoy coffee and cake, a bite to eat for lunch or a nice evening meal.

Here at Braemar Caravan Park, we have the fantastic Highlanders Bakehouse deliver fresh bread straight to our door, a fantastic variety of artisan bread in lots of scrumptious flavours, as well as Eggs and Croissants. We have a shop on site selling tinned soup and beans, chocolate, crisps, ice cream and drinks. We also stock BBQs, disposable and reusable.

Braemar Village has a butchers, Neil Menzies, which makes homemade pies, and sells cooked meats and locally made cheeses from Cambus o’May cheese factory near Ballater.

Braemar has a Coop supermarket for all your essentials.

There are numerous cafes to choose from if you fancy popping out for coffee and cake, or a bite to eat for lunch.

The Bothy, a fantastic cafe open daily for Breakfast and lunch, or a relaxing afternoon coffee and cake. There is always has a wonderful warm welcome and lots of yummy food and drink to choose from.

‘Taste’, not only a fair trade cafe with delicious offerings, but also a deli so you can take away a treat. All the bakes are handmade, and coffee is rain forest alliance and the tea is fair trade. 

Gordons Tearoom, lovely cosy cafe with a wide selection of coffee and cakes, lunches and snacks, and throughout the summer also opens for evening meals.

The Moorfield house hotel is a warm and friendly hotel with a bar and restaurant, and the place to eat out if you have a dog with you on your holiday. The hotel offers evening meals, and also a bar with real Ales.

The Gathering place Bistro is next to the Bothy and is both a bistro and bar. There are a wide range of yummy meals available in the evenings and serves later than other eateries.

The Invercauld arms has a restaurant and also offers bar meals to non-residents. Invercauld Arms now offers  delicious afternoon tea menu, and fresh Pizza to eat in or take away.

Braemar lodge hotel has a restaurant open to non-residents and has an incredibly popular Sunday Carvery throughout the summer months, a firm favourite with locals and visitors alike.

Braemar Golf Club also has a restaurant and is open for evening meals and lunches, to both members and non-members.

Glenshee Ski Centre has a cafe open all year round, even when the Ski season is over, it's well worth a visit for lunch, or a coffee, and in the summer months.

And you can’t forget the Hungry Highlander, a chippy with a reputation or a rather good venison burger.

Please check with all the eateries listed above if you are planning a visit as not all of them are open 7 days a week.

Pop in to reception or our information room while you’re staying with us and we’ll be happy to show you where all these wonderful places are. Happy Eating everyone.

Braemar Caravan Park and the fantastic landscape around us is home to some amazing wildlife species. Many of the species you can see here are specialists to the highlands and many won’t be seen anywhere else, making this a fantastic area to come to for bird watching.

Here’s just a few species to spot, some can be seen in and around the caravan park and others would need a walk in to the hills with your binoculars.

Ptarmigan

Ptarmigan are perfectly suited to the harsh environment of the high tops of the Cairngorms. In the summer months they are camouflaged with beautiful grey speckled markings, blending in with the rocks, and in the winter they transform in to Bright white so they are camouflaged in the snow. They feed on the shoots and leaves from vegetation in the high mountain tops, so a walk in to the hills is needed to catch a glimpse of this amazing species.

Black Grouse

Black Grouse are really quite a rare birds and sight of one these birds is an incredibly special experience. In the Spring the males have a Lek where they display to their females. The Leks are few and far between and to prevent disturbance, one of the best ways to witness this amazing display is in a guided trip to a hide.

Snow Bunting

Snow bunting are fantastic little birds with a tough spirit. Climb to the top of Ben Macdui and you may well be greeted with the tweeting of a Snow Bunting at the top. In most parts of Britain if you ‘re lucky enough to see a snow bunting, it’ll just be throughout the Winter months but here in the Cairngorms they are resident all year round.

Crossbills

Crossbills are pretty tricky to spot but can often be seen flitting in the high tops of the Scots pines, eating the seeds from the cones. They have a beak which crosses over at the front which enables them to use it like a pair of scissors to prize open the cone to get to the seed inside. The males are a striking pinky peach colour and the females are a dark green. If there’s been rain they can often be seen drinking from puddles.

Dipper

The Dipper is a very apt name for this little bird, full of character and a joy to watch. They can be seen on the River Clunie behind the caravan park, and on the odd occasion feeding in the burn in Braemar Caravan Park itself. They can be seen bobbing up and down on the rocks before dipping in the river to catch invertebrates.

Ring Ouzel

From a distance you may mistake the Ring Ouzel for a Blackbird, but although related, they are distinctly different. Ring Ouzels arrive in the highlands in the Spring to breed in the rocky crags, crevices and gullies. They spend the summer here before setting off for warmer climates in September. The males are black with a distinctive white ring on their chest, and the females are brown with a duller colour ring. The Ring Ouzel is quite a rare species and a sighting of these fantastic birds is a real treat.

As well as the species described above, there are so many other bird species to see here in Braemar. We have a bird and squirrel feeding area at the caravan park which are always busy with hungry birds and squirrels, Snipe can be heard drumming as the sun is setting along with the hooting Tawny owls, woodpeckers are drumming, Buzzards calling and Meadow pipits displaying, Curlews, Lapwings and many more species all call this area home.

Braemar is such a wonderful place to visit, not only is the scenery spectacular, the wildlife sightings amazing, and the walking and cycling routes endless, there are many places of interest and attractions to visit and experience whilst you’re here. Here is part 1 of just a few recommendations....

Natural wonders

The Linn of Dee

The Linn of Dee is where the river Dee narrows from a vast river to a natural narrow rocky gorge and the water gushes through it into a waterfall. It’s a spectacular place to visit and just a short walk from the car park. Linn of Dee is 6 miles from Braemar.

The Linn of Quoich and the Devils punchbowl

A few miles further along the road from the Linn of Dee is the Linn of Quoich, where Quoich water narrows to a natural rocky gorge, creating another impressive waterfall. At the Linn of Quoich you’ll also find the Devils punchbowl, a spectacular natural rock formation that is the site for some significant events in Scottish history.

The Colonels bed

The Colonels bed is in Glen Ey, and is where the river runs through a vertically sided rocky gorge. It’s a bit of a walk to get there from the car park in Inverey, and care must be taken as the track to get there narrows to a rough can be slippery, but it’s worth a visit and the walk through Glen Ey is spectacular.

Castles past and present

Braemar Castle is an unmistakable landmark on the edge of Braemar, overlooking the river Dee. It was built in 1628 and has a fascinating history, from the Jacobite rising, housing the British army, and Mrs.Frances Farquharson decorating the castle is shades of pink. The castle is now run by the community and is open from April until the end of October.

Kindrochit castle is a ruined castle in the centre of Braemar. Kindrochit castle dates back to the 14^th century, and was a hunting seat of King Robert II. It is well worth an explore of the ruins whilst you’re visiting Braemar.

From Easter throughout the summer, Braemar local history group lead a guided walk every Tuesday at 8pm and Wednesday at 3pm, which gives a fascinating insight into the history of Braemar.

Balmoral Castle has been the Scottish home of the Royal family since 1852, the Castle, the grounds, and the estate as a whole is well worth a visit. The castle is now open until the end of July when the Queen arrives for her Summer break. Balmoral estate is open to walk on all year round, with Loch Muick being a favourite spot. Balmoral is just a 9 mile drive from Braemar.

For more information about things to see and do and Braemar, visit BraemarScotland, and I will continue with part 2 of things to do in Braemar soon.